U.S. patent number 10,836,548 [Application Number 15/791,716] was granted by the patent office on 2020-11-17 for modular packaging made of plastic material for food products ready for consumption comprising a main container and a plurality of secondary containers inserted in the main container.
This patent grant is currently assigned to SIRAP-GEMA S.P.A.. The grantee listed for this patent is SIRAP-GEMA S.p.A.. Invention is credited to Luca Bosio, Victor Lopes Mascarenhas.
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United States Patent |
10,836,548 |
Bosio , et al. |
November 17, 2020 |
Modular packaging made of plastic material for food products ready
for consumption comprising a main container and a plurality of
secondary containers inserted in the main container
Abstract
Herein is described a plastic package for food or food products
which are ready for consumption. The package includes a first
container of larger size, for a main food component and a second
container, of smaller size, able to separately contain a
supplementary food component. The package is characterized by the
fact that the first bottom and/or the first closure lid of the
first container have a cavity open to the outside and conformed to
constitute a housing compartment for the second container by at
least partial insertion of said the second container in the cavity
of the first container.
Inventors: |
Bosio; Luca (Verolanuova,
IT), Lopes Mascarenhas; Victor (Verolanuova,
IT) |
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
SIRAP-GEMA S.p.A. |
Verolanuova |
N/A |
IT |
|
|
Assignee: |
SIRAP-GEMA S.P.A. (Verolanuova,
IT)
|
Family
ID: |
60080720 |
Appl.
No.: |
15/791,716 |
Filed: |
October 24, 2017 |
Prior Publication Data
|
|
|
|
Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
|
US 20180127178 A1 |
May 10, 2018 |
|
Foreign Application Priority Data
|
|
|
|
|
Nov 10, 2016 [IT] |
|
|
102016000113751 |
Feb 14, 2017 [IT] |
|
|
102017000016247 |
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D
81/3205 (20130101); B65D 43/162 (20130101); B65D
51/28 (20130101); B65D 51/246 (20130101); A47J
47/02 (20130101); B65D 2581/3432 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B65D
51/28 (20060101); B65D 51/24 (20060101); B65D
43/16 (20060101); B65D 81/32 (20060101); A47J
47/02 (20060101) |
Field of
Search: |
;220/521 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
8629787 |
|
Dec 1986 |
|
DE |
|
H0644754 |
|
Jun 1994 |
|
JP |
|
2011081677 |
|
Jul 2011 |
|
WO |
|
Other References
Italian Search Report for Italian Appl No. 102016000113751(2 Pages)
(dated Jun. 14, 2017). cited by applicant.
|
Primary Examiner: Braden; Shawn M
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Lucas & Mercanti, LLP
Claims
The invention claimed is:
1. A package made of plastic material for food or food products
ready for consumption, comprising a first container of larger size,
for a main food component, said first container comprising a first
bottom and first closure lid having a top part surrounded by outer
perimeter side walls, and a second container, of smaller size, able
to separately contain a supplementary food component, said first
container having a cavity open to the outside, formed on the top
part of said first closure lid and conformed to constitute a
housing compartment for said second container by at least partial
insertion of said second container in said cavity of said first
container, the cavity having a base and side walls, wherein said
closure lid of the first container has a groove formed as one-piece
with said top part of the lid, the groove being formed in
correspondence with said cavity and the groove being open and faced
towards the corresponding cavity involving a part of the side walls
of the cavity and a part of the outer perimeter side walls of the
lid of the first container so as to be also open to the outside of
the first container from the outer perimeter side walls of the lid
of the first container.
2. The package according to claim 1, wherein said cavity is formed
on the external side of the top part of the first closure lid of
said first container.
3. The package according to claim 1, wherein said second container
comprises a second bottom and a second closure lid.
4. The package according to claim 3, wherein said cavity is formed
on the top part of the first lid towards the inside of the first
container, said cavity having a shape substantially complementary
with that of the bottom of said second container to accomplish a
coupling substantially between complementary shapes upon inserting
said container in said cavity.
5. The package according to claim 1, wherein said first container
and/or said second container are made of a plastic material that is
compact rigid, expanded with closed cells or expanded with open
cells selected from the group consisting of polyethylene
terephthalate (PET), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS) and their
copolymers.
6. The package according to claim 1, comprising a compartment
formed on said first bottom and/or on the lid of the first
container, optionally on the inner side of it, for the housing of a
piece of cutlery , said piece of cutlery being optionally inserted
in said compartment of housing by snap-fit or tight-fit
coupling.
7. The package according to claim 1, wherein in said first
container and/or in said second container, said bottom has a
peripheral flange extended towards the outside on which is formed a
rib extended along the perimeter and protruding upwardly, and said
lid has a peripheral flange on which is formed a spline protruding
upwardly and extended along the perimeter, said peripheral spline
being formed in correspondence with said rib and having a shape
substantially complementary to that rib so that, when the first
container and/or said second container is closed, said peripheral
flange of the lid and said peripheral flange of the bottom are
overlapped and coupled by the complementary profiles of said rib
and said spline.
8. The package according to claim 7, wherein in said first
container and/or in said second container, said peripheral flange
of the bottom and/or said peripheral flange of the lid have a tab,
optionally in said first container and/or in said second container,
said peripheral flange of the bottom and said peripheral flange of
the lid have a pair of respective tabs protruding towards the
outside and in staggered position with respect to each other.
9. The package according to claim 8, wherein in said first
container and/or in said second container, said peripheral flange
of the bottom and said peripheral flange of the lid have, in
correspondence with the opposed end parts of respective sides
situated faced to the other, two pairs of respective tabs
protruding towards the outside and in staggered position with
respect to each other so as to facilitate opening said first
container and/or said second container.
10. The package according to claim 1, wherein said first container
and/or said second container is/are provided with a tamper-evident
system or mechanism such that a partial or total removal thereof or
damage thereof is hint of tamper of said package.
11. The package according to claim 1 wherein said first container
and said second container are provided as a kit of components with
said second container being detached from the first container and
insertable in the latter.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application claims benefit of priority from Italian Patent
Application No. 102016000113751 filed Nov. 10, 2016, and from
Italian Patent Application No. 102017000016247 filed on Feb. 14,
2017, the contents of each which are incorporated by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention refers to the field of packaging made of
plastic material for food products ready for consumption whose
components are to be kept separated during preservation and then to
be mixed together upon packaging use to obtain a food product ready
for consumption.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
As it is well known, over the past few years food products ready
for consumption, such as for example ready salads, (the so called
IV gamma), fruit salads, ready dishes and the like show a
continuous increase in consumption, especially if they are offered
to the consumer in a container which allow direct use (consumption)
in both domestic and non-domestic context (for example in the
office, at school or at the store).
In particular, ready salads packaged this way have become real meal
replacement, since solid ingredients and condiments are added to
the salad to constitute a light, healthy and at the same time
nutritious meal.
According to a prior art packaging technology, packages for food
products ready for consumption are constituted by a container for a
main food component (for example salad) and by an insert in which
cavities are formed for containing one or more further
supplementary food components (loose enrichers), condiment sachets
(for example oil and/or sauce sachets) and even pieces of cutlery,
respectively. The insert is housed inside the container containing
the main food component and the whole is sealed by a film or
closure lid sealed to the upper rim of the container so as to allow
the protection, preservation and transportation of the food
packaged in this way.
At the time of consumption, the user removes the sealing film or
lid from the upper rim of the container and pours the supplementary
food components contained in the insert within the container as
well as the condiments contained in the sachets, after opening of
latter, so as to mix the whole to the main food component contained
in the container and to form therefore the food product ready for
consumption.
A package of this type has the undeniable advantage to keep food
components and condiments constituting the food product separated
from each other during preservation, thereby preventing problems
connected to the alteration of organoleptic or nutritional nature
which could otherwise easily occur if these ingredients would be
packaged together, in direct contact with each other.
However, a package of this type has the disadvantage that the
combinations among the main food component and the relative
supplementary food components and/or condiments contained in the
package are predetermined at the beginning by the producer and
there is usually a small number of combinations that do not always
meet the desires and tastes of the end consumer. Furthermore, a
cross-contamination between the main food component and the
supplementary food components within the package is sometimes
possible even if an insert is provided for keeping the
supplementary food components separated from the main food
component. Such contamination is particularly problematic in the
event of purchase of the package by subjects who are allergic or
intolerant to one or more of the food components that have caused
contamination.
Moreover, the use of the package described above in order to
constitute the food product ready for consumption objectively
requires many operations for the consumer such as in particular, as
said above: removing the sealing film or lid from the container,
overturning the insert for pouring the food component contained in
the cavities of the container, opening the condiment sachets and
pouring the relative contents in the container, mixing the
ingredients.
It is totally clear that execution of the above operations is not
much hygienic, if one considers that while overturning the insert
it is really easy to spill its contents and/or the contents of
condiment sachets out of the receiving container, as well as it is
easy that part of the food product could go out of the already open
container during the mixing of the ingredients.
Japanese patent application JP H06 44754 describes a modular
package comprising a first container provided with bottom and lid,
and a second container of smaller size compared to that of the
first container, housed in a cavity formed in the lid of the first
container. Two opposed grooves are also provided which are formed
on the top of the lid in correspondence with the rim of the cavity
of housing of the second container to facilitate the grab of the
second container by the user. A similar modular package is also
described in the patent application US 2012/321756.
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A main object of the present invention is to provide a modular
packaging for food products for consumption that allows one to
increase significantly the number of possible combinations between
the main food component and the supplementary food components
and/or condiments packaged in separate containers and mixed in the
use to form the food products at consumption, with the possibility
for the end consumer to choose the appropriate combination
depending on, for example, his/her own tastes and/or desires.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a modular
packaging as described above, that has moreover structural and
functional features such as to make the packaging particularly easy
to use by the user, for example during constitution of the food
product ready for consumption.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a packaging
as described above that could be produced in an easy way and at low
cost.
These and other objects are primarily reached through a package
made of plastic material for food or food products ready for
consumption, comprising a first container, of larger size, for a
main food component, said first container comprising a first bottom
and a first closure lid having a top part surrounded by side walls,
and at least one second container, of smaller size, to separately
contain a supplementary food component, said first container having
at least one cavity open to the outside and formed on the top part
of said first closure lid and conformed to constitute a housing
compartment for said at least one second container by at least
partial insertion of said at least one second container in said at
least one cavity of said first container, said package being
characterized by the fact that the closure lid of the first
container has at least one groove formed as one-piece with said top
part of the lid, each groove being formed in correspondence with
said at least one cavity and each groove being in addition open or
faced towards the corresponding cavity involving also a part of the
side walls of the lid of the first container so as to be also open
to the outside of the first container.
Preferably, in the package according to the invention, said at
least one cavity is formed on the external side of the top part of
the first closure lid of said first container.
Preferably, in the package according to the invention, in the first
container and/or in the at least one second container, the bottom
has a peripheral flange extended towards the outside on which is
formed a rib extended along the perimeter and protruding upwards,
and said lid has a peripheral flange on which is formed a spline
protruding upwards and extended along the perimeter, said
peripheral spline being formed in correspondence with said rib and
having a shape substantially complementary to that rib so that,
when the first container and/or said at least one second container
is closed, said peripheral flange of the lid and said peripheral
flange of the bottom result to be overlapped to each other and
coupled by shape coupling between the complementary profiles of
said rib and said spline.
Moreover, advantageously, in the first container and/or in the at
least one second container, the peripheral flange of the bottom
and/or the peripheral flange of the lid have at least one tab to
facilitate opening the container by the user. Preferably, in the
first container and/or in the at least one second container, the
peripheral flange of the bottom and the peripheral flange of the
lid have at least one pair of respective tabs protruding towards
the outside and in staggered position with respect to each other,
so as to facilitate opening of said first container and/or said at
least one second container.
According to a particularly preferred embodiment, the peripheral
flange of the bottom and the peripheral flange of the lid of the
first container and/or of the at least one second container have,
in correspondence with the opposed end parts of respective sides
faced one on to the other, two pairs of respective tabs protruding
towards the outside and in staggered position with respect to each
other.
In the present invention, the first container and/or the at least
one second container can be joined or not joined to each other
through a hinge extended on a side or a part of the respective
bottom and closure lid.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the first
container and/or the at least one second container is/are provided
with a tamper-evident system or mechanism such that a partial or
total removal thereof or damage thereof is hint of tamper of the
package. In such embodiment, the hinge between the bottom and the
lid can form part of the tamper-evident system of the respective
container and the above mentioned tabs on the peripheral flange of
the bottom and on the peripheral flange of the lid can be formed on
the same side or part where the hinge is formed, possibly close to
the latter.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the first
container and/or the at least one second container are made of a
plastic material that is rigid, expanded with closed cells or
expanded with substantially open cells chosen from, for example,
polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene
(PS) and their copolymers, etc.
The main advantage of the package for food or food products ready
for consumption according to the invention lies in the fact that,
contrary to the known containers, the supplementary food components
are packaged separately and externally to the containment
compartment of the container for the main food component, in
respective containers of smaller size which are coupled to the
container for the main food component so as to form the whole end
package. In this way, the end consumer can combine to the larger
container, in which the chosen main food component is packaged, one
or more smaller containers, each containing a supplementary food
component chosen according to his/her own tastes and desires,
obtaining thereby a whole package which contains separately
packaged food ingredients desired for the constitution of the final
food product at the time of consumption.
Moreover, thanks to the formation of grooves on the top of the lid
of the first container in correspondence with corresponding
cavities which besides being faced towards the corresponding
cavities also involve a part of the side walls of the lid of the
first container so as to be also open to the outside of the first
container, the use of the modular package by the user is
facilitated to a considerably greater extent compared to what
taught by the above-mentioned prior art, in particular the
extraction of the at least one second container from the first
container at the time of composing the food product ready for
consumption.
Advantageously, the package according to the invention can be
available in both the assembled form, with the at least one second
container containing the respective supplementary food component is
already inserted in the first container containing the main food
component, and in the form of kit of components wherein the at
least one second container containing the respective supplementary
food component is originally detached from the first container
containing the main food component and insertable in the latter, in
particular to make it possible for the consumer to combine
supplementary food components contained in the second containers
and the main food component contained in the first container
depending on his/her own tastes and/or desires.
Preferably, in the package according to the invention, said at
least one second container comprises a second bottom and a second
closure lid.
Further features and advantages of the present invention will
emerge more from the following description of a preferred example
of realization of a package for food or food products ready for
consumption according to the invention made with reference to the
enclosed drawings which are given by a way of indication and
non-limiting.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the enclosed drawings:
FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a package for food products
ready for consumption according to the invention;
FIG. 2 shows a top view and with detached parts of the package of
FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 shows a top view of a container of the package of FIG. 1 in
the open configuration;
FIGS. 4 to 6 schematically show the respective steps of formation
of a package according to the invention containing a main food
component and supplementary food components packaged in respective
containers and chosen for example according to the tastes of the
end consumer;
FIGS. 7 to 10 schematically show respective steps of opening the
package according to the invention and formation of the food
product ready for consumption by mixing the supplementary food
components to the main food component.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Hereinafter in the present description, the term "package" refers
to a single container or to a group of containers that are related
and provided as a unit, for example a single container or a group
of different containers.
Hereafter in the present description, the terms "upper", "lower",
"outside" and "inside" refer to the orientation of a particular
embodiment as shown in the figure first numbered relative to said
embodiment.
Moreover, it is to be understood that the technical features
specifically described previously and hereinafter can be combined
with each other, constituting further embodiments of the present
invention which are not specifically described for concision
reasons but which fall within the scope of the present
invention.
Particularly, the present invention relates to a modular package
comprising a first container, of larger size, able to contain a
main food component (for example a food to flavor and/or to
"enrich" with further food components), and at least a second
container, of smaller size, able to separately contain a
supplementary food component, for example a condiment and/or
"enricher" of the main food component, wherein said at least one
secondary container is inserted in the first container.
The package according to the invention as above can be provided in
both the assembled form, with the at least one second container
containing the respective supplementary food component already
inserted in the first container containing the main food component,
and in the form of kit of components wherein the at least one
second container containing the respective supplementary food
component is originally detached from the first container
containing the main food component and is insertable in the
latter.
By way of a non-limiting example, the present invention can be
employed to contain vegetables or fruit pieces or cold pasta in the
container for the main food component and further supplementary
food components (for example liquids like condiments such as oil,
vinegar, sauces) and solid food components (so called "enrichers")
such as for example meat or fish pieces, separated from each other
and separated from the main food component, in the smaller
containers.
Upon package use, the supplementary food components contained in
the smaller containers are individually mixed (dosed) in the food
component contained in the container for the main food component in
order to obtain a food product ready for consumption.
With reference to the above-mentioned figures, with 1 is indicated
a package made in plastic material for food or food products ready
for consumption according to the invention taken as a whole.
The package 1 comprises a first container 2, of larger size, able
to contain a main food component 3, and a pair of second containers
4 of smaller size compared to the first container 2, able to
contain respective supplementary food components 5 and 6 separately
from each other and separately from the main food component 3.
The first container 2 comprises a substantially rigid lower part or
bottom 7, able to contain the above-mentioned food component 3, for
example raw vegetables or cold pasta, and a lid 8 which encloses
such main food component 3 and the bottom 7.
In the present non-limiting example of realization, the bottom 7
and the closure lid 8 have substantially the shape of a tray with
rectangular section and rounded edges and are joined to each other
through a hinge 30 extended on a portion of a long side of the
bottom 7 and of the lid 8. Alternatively, the hinge can be extended
on a portion of a short side of the bottom 7 and of the lid 8.
More in particular, the bottom 7 comprises a longitudinal,
flattened part 9 constituting the base thereof, from which long
side walls 10 and short side walls 11 arise toward the upside which
together with base 9 define a recess in which a main food component
3 to be packaged is placed. The long side walls 10 and the short
side walls 11, which arise toward the upside from said base 9, end
with a peripheral flange 12 substantially extended along the
perimeter, the peripheral flange 12 protruding from the side walls
10 and 11, respectively long and short, towards the outside of the
bottom 7.
On the peripheral flange 12 of the bottom 7 is provided a rib (or
chord) 5 protruding upwards and extended along the whole perimeter
of said peripheral flange 12.
The lid 8 has a top 16 from which long side walls 17 and short side
walls 18 extend downwards and end in a peripheral flange 19
protruding toward the outside and substantially extended along the
perimeter. On the peripheral flange 19 of the lid 8 a spline 21
protruding upwards and extended along the whole perimeter is formed
as one-piece. In particular, such peripheral spline 21 is formed in
(vertical) correspondence with the rib 15 on the peripheral flange
12 of the bottom 7 and has a substantially complementary shape to
such rib 15 so that, when the first container 2 is closed, the
peripheral flange 19 of the lid and the peripheral flange 12 of the
bottom result to be overlapped and coupled by shape coupling
between the complementary profiles of said rib 15 and said spline
21. Such shape coupling can in turn imply a joint coupling, a
clutch coupling or the like.
Moreover, the peripheral flange 12 of the bottom 7 and the
peripheral flange 19 of the lid 8 have, in correspondence with the
opposed end parts of respective long sides faced to the other, one
or more pairs of respective tabs 22, 23 protruding towards the
outside and in staggered position with respect to each other so as
to facilitate opening the first container by a user.
According to the present invention, the lid 8 of the first
container 2 has a pair of cavities 25 with substantially
rectangular section, said cavities 25 being formed at the top part
16 of the lid 8 towards the inside of the first container 2 and so
that they are substantially flanked to each other on one side a
separated by a tract 26 of the top part 16 of the lid 8.
The cavities 25 constitute housing compartment for respective
second containers 4, of smaller size compared to container 2, said
second containers being able to contain respective supplementary
food component 5, 6. Such second containers 4 have each a bottom 27
having substantially the shape of a tray with rectangular section
and rounded edges and a closure lid 28 which are joined to each
other through a hinge 30 extended on a portion of a long side of
the bottom 27 and of the lid 28. Alternatively, the hinge can be
extended on a portion of a short side of the bottom 7 and of the
lid 8.
The structural and functional features of the bottom 27 and the lid
28 constituting the second containers 4 are entirely similar to
those of the bottom 7 and the lid 8 of the first container 2 and
thus, hereinafter in the present description, they are not
described in details for conciseness and the same reference numbers
of corresponding features of bottom 7 an lid 8 of the first
container 2 will be assigned to them. However, contrary to the lid
8 of the first container 2, the lid 28 of the second containers 4
is not provided with containment cavities and has, in this example
of realization, a substantially flattened top portion 29 without
lowered parts.
It is to notice that in variants of realization of the present
invention the first container 2 and the second containers 4 can be
realized with different forms and features from the ones depicted
above, provided that the functionality of containment of the second
containers in cavities obtained on the lid of the first container
is preserved.
For example, the first container 2 and the second containers 4 can
have a shape with square, circular or elliptic section-section
instead of with rectangular section-section.
Moreover, the first container 2 and the second containers 4 can be
not provided with connection hinge between the bottom and the
closure lid. Furthermore, according to a variant of realization of
the present invention (not depicted), the first container 2 and/or
the second containers 4 can be provided with a tamper-evident
system or mechanism such that a partial or total removal thereof or
damage thereof is hint of tamper of said package. In such variant
of realization, the hinge between the bottom and the lid can form
part of the tamper-evident system of the respective container and
the above-mentioned tabs 22, 23 on the peripheral flange of the
bottom and on the peripheral flange of the lid can be formed on the
same side or part where the hinge is formed, possibly close to the
latter.
In fact, in the more general way, the first container and the
second containers can each be simply realized with a tray bottom of
any shape (for example with rectangular, square, circular
cross-section etc.) and a closure lid applied on the upper rim of
the bottom with any conventional system known in the art, for
example with mechanisms of snap-fit coupling, joint coupling,
coupling between complementary shapes, etc. Moreover, depending on
contingent and specific needs, such as only as an example, the
typology and preservation characteristics of the food to be
packaged, the closure lid can also be applied as a seal so as to
obtain a tight closure of the respective container and to be at the
same time detachable from it at the time of the first opening of
the container. For example, for the second containers, the closure
lid could also be a simple gas-barrier film made of plastic
material applied as a seal on the upper rim of the container and
removable (peelable) from it at the time of the first opening of
the container. Moreover, within the scope of the present invention,
it is also possible that the closure lid for the first container
and/or at least one of the second containers could comprise a
gas-barrier film applied as a seal on the upper rim of the
container and a closure lid above said gas-barrier film.
According to the present invention, the cavities 25 of the first
container 2 are conformed so as to contain, at least partially,
respective second containers 4. This can be achieved, for example,
by shaping the cavities 25 with a shape that is substantially
complementary to that of the bottom 27 of the respective containers
4 and with section size preferably slightly larger than that of the
bottom 27 of the respective containers so as to accomplish a
coupling substantially between complementary shapes upon inserting
the second containers 4 with bottoms 27 in the respective
cavities.
More in particular, in the present embodiment, each cavity 25 has a
base 31 from which extend long side walls 32 and short side walls
33 ending at the top in a peripheral flange 34 extended along the
perimeter, said peripheral flange being lowered compared to the top
part 16 of the lid 8 of the first container 2. Advantageously, the
base 31, the long side walls 32, the short side walls 33 and the
upper peripheral flange 34 of a cavity 25 can be structured so as
to have a shape substantially complementary to that of base 9, of
the long side walls 10, of the short side walls 11 and of the lower
peripheral flange 12 of the bottom 27 of a relative second
container 4 respectively.
In this way, each second container 4 can advantageously be inserted
in a respective cavity 25 and be kept in position with a coupling
substantially between complementary shapes of the cavity 25 and the
bottom 27 of said container 4. Depending on the size and the depth
of the cavity 25, the insertion of the respective second container
can complete, for example, upon reaching the end stop of the base 9
of the bottom 27 on the base 31 of the cavity 25 or upon reaching
the end stop of the lower peripheral flange 12 of the bottom 27 of
the second container 4 on the peripheral flange 34 of the
respective cavity 25, achieving thereby a partial or substantially
complete insertion of the bottom 27 of the second container 4 in
the respective cavity 25.
Moreover, the lid 8 of the first container 2 has two grooves 35
formed as one-piece on the top part 16 of the lid 8, each groove 35
being formed in correspondence with a long side of a respective
cavity 25 and being open or in other words faced towards said
respective cavity 25. More in particular, each groove 35 extends
downwards from the top 16 of the lid 8 to a height close to that of
the peripheral flange 34 of the respective cavity 25 and involving
also part of a long lateral wall 17 of the lid 8 so as to be open
also to the outside of the first container 2. Furthermore, in this
non-limitative embodiment, each groove 35 is substantially aligned
to a long side of the respective cavity 25 and has a longitudinal
extension substantially corresponding to that of said respective
cavity 25.
In this way, the bottom 27 of a second container 4 can be inserted
in the respective cavity 25 for example with the respective
connection hinge 30 oriented toward the respective groove 35.
This advantageously facilitates the operations of grabbing the
second containers 4 and their extraction from the respective
cavities 25, in particular upon constitution of the food product
ready for consumption as it will be better explained hereinafter in
the description.
The package 1 according to the invention has also a pair of
protuberances 42 formed as one-piece on the internal side of the
lid 8 of the first container 2 (or grooves 42 if seen from the
external side of the lid 8 of the first container 2), said
protuberances 42 being conveniently separated so as to form between
them a compartment for housing of a piece of cutlery 43, for
example a fork. Advantageously, such piece of cutlery 43 can be
kept in position in the designated compartment by tight-fit or
snap-fit coupling between the above-mentioned protuberances 42.
It is to notice that in other embodiments of the present invention,
the housing compartment for the piece of cutlery 43 (or more pieces
of cutlery) can be absent or be provided external to the first
container, namely for example the said protuberances 42
constituting housing compartment for the piece of cutlery 43 could
be formed on the external side of the lid 8 or the bottom 7 of the
first container. Alternatively, it is also envisaged the
possibility to place an insert inside the container to support the
piece of cutlery 43 and/or of sachet with liquid condiments like
oil, vinegar or sauces.
With regard to the manufacture of the first container 2 and of the
second containers 4, they can be obtained through conventional
processes of plastic materials manufacturing, for example
thermoforming. Plastic materials suitable for the manufacture of
the above-mentioned containers are any plastic material suitable
for containing food, in a compact rigid form or in expanded form
with closed cells or with substantially open cells, preferably
polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene
(PS) and copolymers thereof.
Advantageously, the first container 2 and the second containers 4
are made of a transparent plastic material so that the user or the
consumer can visualize their contents.
Referring now to FIGS. 4-6, the package 1 according to the
invention can be created by the user or the consumer, for example
upon purchase, simply combining to the first container 2 containing
the main food component, for example raw vegetables or cold pasta,
one or more second containers 4 containing the supplementary food
components, such as for example meat or fish pieces. In this way,
the user or consumer can advantageously have a much wide variety of
packaged supplementary food components to combine to the main food
component, also separately packaged, and especially can select such
supplementary food components packaged independently one from the
other and according to his/her tastes and desires.
For example, the user or consumer can advantageously combine to the
main food component (for example vegetable) supplementary food
components having nutritious features different from the ones of
the main food component (for example meat or fish pieces and/or
cereals like corn) so as to obtain a food or food product ready for
consumption which non only corresponds to the own tastes but is
also balanced from a nutritious point of view.
The above-mentioned combination is complete with the insertion of
the second containers 4 containing the chosen supplementary food
components in the cavities 25 of the first container 2 containing
the main food component, obtaining thereby only one package 1
according to the invention as the whole. Due to the fact that the
second containers 4 are at least partially inserted in the first
container 2, the resulting whole package 1 is presented essentially
as a "single piece" and consequently has the same advantages, at
least concerning convenience in transporting and use of a similar
package constituted by a single container and relative closure
lid.
Referring now to figures from 7 to 10, modalities of opening the
package according to the invention for the formation of the food
product ready for consumption are shown.
First of all (FIG. 7), the user or consumer extracts the second
containers 4 from the respective cavities 25 in the first container
2. In this regard, the user or consumer can easily grab the second
containers 4 from the grooves 35 formed on the lid 8 of the first
container 2.
Subsequently (FIG. 8), the user or consumer opens the first
container 2 by lifting up the lid 8, with the advantageous aid of
the tabs 22 and 23 which are provided the bottom 7 and the lid 8
with, gaining access to the main food component therein
contained.
Then (FIGS. 9-10), the user or consumer opens the second containers
4 one by one with the same modality shown above for the first
container 2 and pours the supplementary food components 5 and 6
contained therein in the first container 2 containing the main food
component, constituting thereby the food product ready for
consumption. Advantageously, adding one or more supplementary food
components 5 and 6 in the first container 2 containing the main
food component can be facilitated by using the piece of cutlery 43
provided with the main container 2 prior extraction of the piece of
cutlery from the respective compartment between the internal
protuberances 42.
The food product constituted in the main container 2 can then be
consumed directly in such container 2 and with the aid of the
provided piece of cutlery 43.
One of ordinary skill in the art could make many changes or
variations to the package according to the invention for the
purpose of satisfying contingent and specific needs, however
without going out of the scope of protection of the enclosed
claims.
For example, even if in the above depicted embodiments the
containment cavities 25 of the second containers 4 are shown to be
formed on the lid 8 of the first container 2, they can equally be
formed on the long side walls 10 and/or short side walls 11 and/or
on the base 9 of the bottom 7 of the first container providing
specific recesses open to the outside in such parts of the bottom
7. The combination of at least one cavity 25 formed on the lid 8
and at least one cavity 25 formed on the bottom of the first
container 2 also falls within the scope of the invention.
Moreover, it is to say that the package according to the invention
can also comprise any containment system (for example by snap-fit
coupling, by clip, etc.) to keep firmly and in removable manner the
second containers 4 in the respective cavities 25 of the first
container 2. Such containment systems are particularly useful in
case of formation of one or more containment cavities 25 on the
external side of the bottom 7 of the first container 2.
* * * * *